Book Name: Inside the Black Box of Classroom Practice: Change Without Reform in American Education
About the Author:
Larry Cuban
Author Larry Cuban taught secondary social studies for 14 years before becoming district superintendent for 7 years. He then became a Professor of Education at Stanford University for 20 years. Cuban's area of expertise includes the history of reform, classroom practice and technology use in elementary and secondary school.
Reference:
Cuban, Larry. Inside the Black Box of Classroom Practice: Change without Reform in American Education. Cambridge: Harvard Education, 2013. Print.
Sections of Book Covered: Part One: Engineering Structures to Reform Classroom Teaching
Restructuring Las Montanas and Technology, 1976-2010
Restructuring the Science Curriculum, 1890’s-2011
How and Why Test-Driven Accountability Influenced Teaching Practice
These sections of this book are directly related to the material covered in class, especially topics discussed in Larry Cuban's "Tinkering Toward Utopia" and Diane Ravitch's "The Death and Life of the Great American School System". The topics covered in my Adopt-A-Book project will reinforce those regarding reform history, such as the National Education Association’s (NEA) Committee of Ten and The Cardinal Principles of Education to more recent history involving No Child Left Behind. Additional topics include high-stakes testing and data-driven accountability.
There are many ideas in this book that should be carefully considered by policy makers regarding educational reform. The history of educational reform in the United Sated in discussed in Chapter 2. The past is a wise place to look to for guidance when considering potential future policies. If reformers desire to learn about the use of technology and its impact on classroom practices, then this book offers insight into a ten-year technology study performed by the author himself. Policy makers can also learn about the impacts of high-stakes assessments and data-driven accountability of recent years.
Summary:
Chapter 1: Restructuring Las Montanas and Technology, 1976-2010
In 1976, an innovative and technologically advanced school, named Las Montanas, located in the Silicon Valley in the San Francisco Bay area opens it’s doors for the first time. The school’s goal was to incorporate technology, flexible scheduling and individualized programs to shift educational roles from teacher-centered to student-centered. Between 1976 and the beginning of the twenty first century there was a constant ebb and flow of reforms, technological advances and teacher turnover. In 1998, author Larry Cuban proposed a school wide technology study to be completed over the next year at Las Montanas and the school’s principal eagerly accepted.
Over the course of the following year, Cuban had gathered and analyzed significant data regarding technology use at Las Montanas through the use of shadowing, surveys and computer sign in records. While access to computers at Las Montanas greatly exceeds the national average, it was found that most teachers did not use the computers that were available to them. Those teachers that did make use typically did so for relatively low-tech purposes such as Internet searches, word processing and projectors were even utilized as spotlights during student speeches.
In 2008, Larry Cuban returned to the school for a follow-up technology use study. He notes several changes that had occurred between 1998 and 2008. Some changes include four new principals, increased gang activity and a decrease in enrollment and test scores. The most notable technological advancement during this time was the addition of 1:1 student laptops in 2003. Despite computer accessibility, test scores continue to plummet and the school is placed on academic probation in 2004. With the use of newly purchased textbooks and academic coaches the school was able to lift the probationary status. By the time of Cuban’s follow-up study, funding for student 1:1 laptops diminished and sign-in mobile carts became the norm at Las Montanas.
Cuban found that there was no direct correlation between student accessibility and test scores. Although use of computers and various forms of technology for academic purposes had increased between the 1998 study and the 2008 follow-up, test scores and student success did not follow. Despite teacher access to computers most did not use them for academic purposes and those that did, performed relatively low-tech tasks.
Chapter 2: Restructuring the Science Curriculum, 1890’s-2011
In this chapter the author discusses the history and cyclic behavior of the science curriculum and concludes that very little change has been made to classroom practice. In 1893 the National Education Association’s (NEA) Committee of Ten, made of university presidents and secondary school principals, released the first document of its kind recommending various academic curricula, including those for the sciences. This document recommends that the classical, “mishmash” of classes be replaced with practical academic subjects. In 1918 a group of progressives from the NEA, called the Commission on the Reorganization of Secondary Education released a report called The Cardinal Principles of Education. This report disagreed with the Committee of Ten’s recommendations and suggested that a diverse curriculum be available to all students. This curriculum should focus on family values, health, leisure, and ethics while the curriculum previously in place was too rigorous. One notable reform that has maintained incredible longevity was the administration of examinations to elementary students that divided cohorts into various academic “tracks”.
By the 1930’s, high school enrollment had increased 50% despite the Great Depression and after the victory in World War II, enthusiasm in the sciences had increased tremendously. In 1950 the National Science Foundation was founded and new, more vigorous science curricula were established and summer workshops were made available to high school teachers nationally. This trend continued with the release of the Soviet’s Sputnik and in 1958, President Eisenhower signed the National Defense Education Act, approving large amounts of funding for improved science curriculum and teacher training. During the next couple of decades, technology and the advent of the personal computer, as mentioned in chapter 1, had invaded the science classroom and even attempted to partially replace teachers.
Since the release of A Nation at Risk in 1983, there has been exponential growth in reform attempts in all curricula, such as those suggested in Bush’s 1989 Goals: 2000, the 1996 National Science Education Standards and the 2011 Framework for K-12 Science released by the Education National Research Council. Cuban notes that despite over 100 years of reform to the science curriculum, very few fundamental changes had occurred in classroom practices. These reforms reflect the constant debate between having students learn about science and having them learn to do science. Cuban recommends that reforms initiate in the classroom by the teachers, instead of the “top down” reform that is typical.
Chapter 3: How and Why Test-Driven Accountability Influenced Teaching Practice
In 2001, President Bush signed into legislation the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act and with it came school accountability, high-stakes testing, annually published school report cards and an increased focus on English language arts and mathematics. Schools are now required to successfully meet targets set forth by the state and make adequate yearly progress (AYP) and if not fulfilled, harsh consequences are implemented and may even result in school closings. AYP is determined through high-stakes assessments in English language arts and mathematics and students may be denied a diploma if the results of these assessments are not sufficient.
In accordance to the results of these assessments, over half of America’s public schools are deemed “failures” and there is a notable discrepancy between the results of white students and minorities. This test-driven accountability has placed increased emphasis on English language arts and mathematics while taking away valuable resources from other subjects. Cuban notes that high-stakes testing has indeed changed classroom practices although unforeseen consequences and longevity are still unknown. A shift to teacher-centered learning is noticed and more time is spent in preparation of these assessments. A narrowing of the curriculum is evident and less diverse electives are available to students.
Overall, Cuban notes that the increase use of technology as mentioned in chapter 1 and the restructuring of standards and curriculum as mentioned in chapter 2 did not directly correlate to fundamental changes in classroom practice. Few effects of these reforms have experienced notable longevity. Cuban does include that high-stakes assessments and test-driven accountability, as mentioned in chapter 3, have lead to changes in classroom practice, however unforeseen consequences and the longevity of these changes are still yet to be determined.
EDC 503: Adopt-A-Book
Book Name: Inside the Black Box of Classroom Practice: Change Without Reform in American Education
About the Author:
Author Larry Cuban taught secondary social studies for 14 years before becoming district superintendent for 7 years. He then became a Professor of Education at Stanford University for 20 years. Cuban's area of expertise includes the history of reform, classroom practice and technology use in elementary and secondary school.
Reference:
Cuban, Larry. Inside the Black Box of Classroom Practice: Change without Reform in American Education. Cambridge: Harvard Education, 2013. Print.
Sections of Book Covered:
Part One: Engineering Structures to Reform Classroom Teaching
These sections of this book are directly related to the material covered in class, especially topics discussed in Larry Cuban's "Tinkering Toward Utopia" and Diane Ravitch's "The Death and Life of the Great American School System". The topics covered in my Adopt-A-Book project will reinforce those regarding reform history, such as the National Education Association’s (NEA) Committee of Ten and The Cardinal Principles of Education to more recent history involving No Child Left Behind. Additional topics include high-stakes testing and data-driven accountability.
There are many ideas in this book that should be carefully considered by policy makers regarding educational reform. The history of educational reform in the United Sated in discussed in Chapter 2. The past is a wise place to look to for guidance when considering potential future policies. If reformers desire to learn about the use of technology and its impact on classroom practices, then this book offers insight into a ten-year technology study performed by the author himself. Policy makers can also learn about the impacts of high-stakes assessments and data-driven accountability of recent years.
Summary:
Chapter 1: Restructuring Las Montanas and Technology, 1976-2010
In 1976, an innovative and technologically advanced school, named Las Montanas, located in the Silicon Valley in the San Francisco Bay area opens it’s doors for the first time. The school’s goal was to incorporate technology, flexible scheduling and individualized programs to shift educational roles from teacher-centered to student-centered. Between 1976 and the beginning of the twenty first century there was a constant ebb and flow of reforms, technological advances and teacher turnover. In 1998, author Larry Cuban proposed a school wide technology study to be completed over the next year at Las Montanas and the school’s principal eagerly accepted.
Over the course of the following year, Cuban had gathered and analyzed significant data regarding technology use at Las Montanas through the use of shadowing, surveys and computer sign in records. While access to computers at Las Montanas greatly exceeds the national average, it was found that most teachers did not use the computers that were available to them. Those teachers that did make use typically did so for relatively low-tech purposes such as Internet searches, word processing and projectors were even utilized as spotlights during student speeches.
In 2008, Larry Cuban returned to the school for a follow-up technology use study. He notes several changes that had occurred between 1998 and 2008. Some changes include four new principals, increased gang activity and a decrease in enrollment and test scores. The most notable technological advancement during this time was the addition of 1:1 student laptops in 2003. Despite computer accessibility, test scores continue to plummet and the school is placed on academic probation in 2004. With the use of newly purchased textbooks and academic coaches the school was able to lift the probationary status. By the time of Cuban’s follow-up study, funding for student 1:1 laptops diminished and sign-in mobile carts became the norm at Las Montanas.
Cuban found that there was no direct correlation between student accessibility and test scores. Although use of computers and various forms of technology for academic purposes had increased between the 1998 study and the 2008 follow-up, test scores and student success did not follow. Despite teacher access to computers most did not use them for academic purposes and those that did, performed relatively low-tech tasks.
Chapter 2: Restructuring the Science Curriculum, 1890’s-2011
In this chapter the author discusses the history and cyclic behavior of the science curriculum and concludes that very little change has been made to classroom practice. In 1893 the National Education Association’s (NEA) Committee of Ten, made of university presidents and secondary school principals, released the first document of its kind recommending various academic curricula, including those for the sciences. This document recommends that the classical, “mishmash” of classes be replaced with practical academic subjects. In 1918 a group of progressives from the NEA, called the Commission on the Reorganization of Secondary Education released a report called The Cardinal Principles of Education. This report disagreed with the Committee of Ten’s recommendations and suggested that a diverse curriculum be available to all students. This curriculum should focus on family values, health, leisure, and ethics while the curriculum previously in place was too rigorous. One notable reform that has maintained incredible longevity was the administration of examinations to elementary students that divided cohorts into various academic “tracks”.
By the 1930’s, high school enrollment had increased 50% despite the Great Depression and after the victory in World War II, enthusiasm in the sciences had increased tremendously. In 1950 the National Science Foundation was founded and new, more vigorous science curricula were established and summer workshops were made available to high school teachers nationally. This trend continued with the release of the Soviet’s Sputnik and in 1958, President Eisenhower signed the National Defense Education Act, approving large amounts of funding for improved science curriculum and teacher training. During the next couple of decades, technology and the advent of the personal computer, as mentioned in chapter 1, had invaded the science classroom and even attempted to partially replace teachers.
Since the release of A Nation at Risk in 1983, there has been exponential growth in reform attempts in all curricula, such as those suggested in Bush’s 1989 Goals: 2000, the 1996 National Science Education Standards and the 2011 Framework for K-12 Science released by the Education National Research Council. Cuban notes that despite over 100 years of reform to the science curriculum, very few fundamental changes had occurred in classroom practices. These reforms reflect the constant debate between having students learn about science and having them learn to do science. Cuban recommends that reforms initiate in the classroom by the teachers, instead of the “top down” reform that is typical.
Chapter 3: How and Why Test-Driven Accountability Influenced Teaching Practice
In 2001, President Bush signed into legislation the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act and with it came school accountability, high-stakes testing, annually published school report cards and an increased focus on English language arts and mathematics. Schools are now required to successfully meet targets set forth by the state and make adequate yearly progress (AYP) and if not fulfilled, harsh consequences are implemented and may even result in school closings. AYP is determined through high-stakes assessments in English language arts and mathematics and students may be denied a diploma if the results of these assessments are not sufficient.
In accordance to the results of these assessments, over half of America’s public schools are deemed “failures” and there is a notable discrepancy between the results of white students and minorities. This test-driven accountability has placed increased emphasis on English language arts and mathematics while taking away valuable resources from other subjects. Cuban notes that high-stakes testing has indeed changed classroom practices although unforeseen consequences and longevity are still unknown. A shift to teacher-centered learning is noticed and more time is spent in preparation of these assessments. A narrowing of the curriculum is evident and less diverse electives are available to students.
Overall, Cuban notes that the increase use of technology as mentioned in chapter 1 and the restructuring of standards and curriculum as mentioned in chapter 2 did not directly correlate to fundamental changes in classroom practice. Few effects of these reforms have experienced notable longevity. Cuban does include that high-stakes assessments and test-driven accountability, as mentioned in chapter 3, have lead to changes in classroom practice, however unforeseen consequences and the longevity of these changes are still yet to be determined.